


Fall Into You

by Lumeriee



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, College AU, F/F, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Komaru POV, Multiple Pov, No Beta, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, Toko POV, implied murders, implied past neglect, kiss, make out, sex referenced (but does not occur)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:47:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29308275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeriee/pseuds/Lumeriee
Summary: Prompt: When a person makes contact with their soulmate for the first time, they get temporarily transported to a future moment with their soulmate’s future-self.Makoto’s move-in day for college is already messing Komaru up, but her luck turns around when, nearly avoiding being run down by a couple of students, she trips and falls into Toko Fukawa, her soulmate.Toko is already having an awful start to college. Move-in day wasn't picturesque like the brochures made it seem and an attempt to stave off loneliness had her going to a coffee shop on the off chance she'd see her beloved Byakuya Togami. However, before she could even exit the building, a clumsy girl crying over her brother's departure falls into her.
Relationships: Fukawa Toko/Naegi Komaru, Genocide Jack/Naegi Komaru, Genocide Jack/Naegi Komaru/Fukawa Toko
Comments: 6
Kudos: 67
Collections: Soulmate_Flashforwards (DanganRonpa)





	1. Komaru POV

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I did light edits on this one, but I was having a time with tenses. If you catch any issues while reading (grammar, tense, spelling, etc), please let me know!

“ _ Komaru _ , you can’t be crying over something like this,” Makoto laughed weakly, patting his little sister’s shoulder, “We can facetime and text...And I’ll be back for break too. I’m not  _ that _ far away.”

Komaru slapped Makoto's hand from her shoulder before pulling him back into a hug. They were both short, but she was an inch taller, so she tucked her head in the crevasse of his neck without much fight. Makoto didn’t push her away either and, instead, dropped the backpack in his hands to the floor to wrap his arms around her with an exasperated sigh.

She was embarrassed. She had been for a while, ever since they pulled up in the overly-stuffed van and the tears began. It was made worse when the tears didn’t cease and she had to brush away the stream from her eye even as she carried Makoto’s stuff in, barely able to see her feet in front of her.

Being a crybaby since the day she was born, she had expected it. With that said, she figured she could hold herself together at least until he was gone. That didn’t happen and he got to see the familiar sight of her crying her heart out before she left. Hugging him prevented him or her smug parents from seeing it though, so she buried herself further into him. If she was honest, she probably needed it too.

She didn’t like appearing this weak–especially for her pain-in-the-neck older brother–but she had been dreading this day for months. In the end, the built-up stress had finally bubbled over into wheezing sobs that now wracked her body.

Who would she talk about manga with? Who else would go to the mall with to check out new releases? Her friends weren’t as into it as she was and it would bore them to death to wait while she perused. With Makoto, she didn’t have to care because it was her right as the baby sister.

Now, for whatever reason, he decided he needed to move  _ so far _ for college to get a degree in social work. What baloney.

“I-I’m not!”–Komaru buried her face deeper into her brother’s neck to conceal the hiccup– “I’m not crying! I’m just...gonna miss you a little bit.”

He gave a humored sigh, his hand resting against her upper back. As reassured as he tried to be on the outside, she had a feeling it wasn’t that simple. Maybe he needed the hug as much as she did too because his hands were trembling and he squeezed her harder than he normally would have. It wasn’t something their parents would notice, but, as close as they were, Komaru could feel the anxiety trickle off of him.

Komaru pulled back after a moment or two and fiercely rubbed away stray tears. Her brother’s hazel eyes stared into her own: kind, loving, and a smidge teasing. It was the same look he always gave her, never changing even as he aged into the person that stood before her. Without a doubt, he was her dumb older brother who wet the bed until fifth grade and passed out when he got too scared. She doubted something like college would change that.

Komaru moved forward and pressed another soft punch to his shoulders.

“You better call me  _ at least  _ once a week and keep me updated,” Komaru said, sniffling, “And you have to tell me if you get a girlfriend or boyfriend too! I wanna hear all the college gossip!”

“Of course–”

A scream came from the other side of the dorm. The Naegi family all turned to face the direction it came. Pounding footsteps came from the direction it originated from and grew louder with each pound of the carpeted flooring until a tall man with dreads came charging down the hall they stood in. His face was panicked, eyes pulled wide against his face, and mouth held in an “o” shape. The reaction only began to make sense when a shorter, brunette female became visible behind him. Instead of fear like the first person, the look on the girl’s face was one of absolute, unbridled rage. Considering it was move-in day, Komaru couldn’t even guess what would warrant the reaction.

As Komaru stepped back to prevent the oversized moose of a man from hitting her or getting smacked with the fury of the pony-tailed female behind him, the strap of Makoto’s forgotten backpack tangled against her ankle. She stumbled, reaching her arms out in an attempt to catch onto something. The wall slipped from her grasp, but she didn’t hit the carpet as she expected.

Rather, she had been caught in the arms of someone behind her.

Komaru looked up in an instance, meeting the face of another female with long dark-brown braids low on either side of her head and gray eyes framed by dark bags. She stared for a moment more, unable to speak, before a prickling sensation began to form in the back of her head and move forward. It was electric, burning, and all too overwhelming. As the image of the other girl’s face was burned into her head, she felt the familiar sensation of being on the cusp of passing out.

Then, the girl was no longer there, nor was Komaru lying on the dirty dorm hall floor.

Instead, she was standing upright and, with a cursory look around, it appeared she was in a living room of some kind. It didn’t look familiar and, more so, it made little sense how she got there. Where was her brother or her parents? Where was the girl who caught her? Where was her cellphone? Where was  _ she _ ?

There were distant sounds from a room further in the apartment; something Komaru could only pin as guttural, choking breaths. It didn’t seem like the best idea to pursue the noise: she could be in a kidnapper’s house for all she knew and, with what appeared to be a gap in her memory, little to protect herself with knowledge-wise. Even so, it was her only lead and she never claimed to be smart, so she followed it with slow, cautious steps past the living room into a long hall.

The place itself seemed lived-in and smelled freshly of lavender. The windows weren’t barred or anything of the like. Rather, a good many were left ajar and sounds from the busy street life below were clear despite the distance from the ground. It appeared she was in an apartment complex a couple of floors up. When she peered carefully down, she realized it had snowed recently too which made no sense. It was  _ September _ . Even the area where Makoto would be living couldn’t get snow until late December!

But...maybe they had taken her to a place where it snowed a lot? Komaru couldn’t be too sure. The chill crept in through each of the windows, so she shut each one with a careful click and questioned why they had been open in the first place. She didn’t want to freak out yet, but she kept a mental note that the locks were flimsy enough to break and she could probably scream loud enough to get attention from someone below.

She was nearing the end of the hall now and the ragged breathing was more audibly a panicked cry. Sloppy, choppy breaths intermingled with heart-wrenching weeping. If words were being spoken behind the door, Komaru couldn’t make them out. She considered if she should bother the person as torn up as they sounded and if she had any right to do so, even in her current situation. She paused once she got to the door, hand hovering over the knob, as she considered her options.

Looking to her right, she caught sight of a rectangular mirror she had passed, centered between the door she stood in front of and the door one down. Her appearance was visible from the angle she was at, but it looked off. Silent, she stepped directly in front of it and paused once she saw the reflection.

She was herself, but, at the same time,  _ not. _

Her hair was longer now: no longer the bob she had freshly cut in time for her senior year of high school, but grown past her shoulder with her bangs bluntly cut right above her eyebrows. The skin on her face seemed older too with soft wrinkles forming underneath her eyes and her youthful skin seeming almost dulled by age. She didn’t look too much older–probably three or four years at best–but it was jarring to see herself like that when she was a couple of months past eighteen years old.

Looking down, her clothes were different too. It was an unnoticed fact that seemed all too obvious now. As if to test a visual illusion, she tugged experimentally at the maroon sweater’s collar and followed the fabric down to a pair of leggings. There was a silver ring on her finger too with some delicate engravings lining the middle.

_ What is happening? _

The questions from earlier resurfaced in her head and Komaru replayed the events of the day. Everything had been normal: she woke up Makoto at eight am, left the house shortly thereafter, made her dad stop at a pastry shop on the drive there, helped Makoto move in, nearly got tackled by college students, and then fell into some girl–

It clicked. She  _ had  _ to have met her soulmate.

The memory of her soulmate at that moment was vague and blurry though. The chaos during the moment corrupted its clarity, but Komaru could put the pieces together. Little effort was needed though and the other girl’s face returned to her mind, burning the image into the back of her eyelids.

She wished she could have a redo on the moment because Komaru didn’t want her first moment with her soulmate to be so chaotic. She wanted it to be like the shoujo manga she read: the introduction to a cute transfer student who she felt an unnerving attachment to and, when they  _ finally _ touch after six grueling novels, all the pieces fall together. The meeting she had experienced instead had been too quick and messy, so unfair that even now her clumsiness would impact her.

The sound of crying crawled back into her senses. Maybe that was her? That’s how it worked anyways. It was supposed to be a future moment with your soulmate, so, by that logic, Komaru moved to the front of the door, clicking it open.

She stepped into what appeared to be a dark bedroom. The crying halted only for a second before continuing with a quivered breath and the sound of the mattress springs adjusting. Komaru felt up the wall and flicked on the light switch.

There was no doubt that she lived here or, at least, the current version of herself did. The wall was lined with bookshelves and, while most appeared to be typical novels, there was a notable amount of manga organized carefully with the help of figurines. The room itself was made up of various shades of purples and grays with the only sparks of color being the contribution her future self had probably snuck in. 

In the middle of the bed and curled into the comforter was a girl who appeared to be of equal stature to herself with long, black hair sprawled around her. Her face was tucked into the pillow on the far side of the bed.

She wasn’t sure how to proceed, so she acted. Moving to the bed, she hoisted herself on top and watched as the human mound adjusted themselves underneath the eggplant-colored blanket. For a moment, she wondered how many times her past self had seen this sort of thing and how many times she must have talked the other down from these sort of moments. The other girl seemed accustomed to her presence and barely moved even as she got closer. Something about that said it must have occurred more than enough for it to fall to a pattern.

“Komaru?...” Another hiccuped cry. Something inside her chest stung and Komaru wondered if, even if her brain didn’t, the current body she was inhabiting still felt all the emotions her future self would have had in this situation. 

But that was a thought for another time. This was obviously her soulmate and her soulmate needed her.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Komaru said, placing a hand on the top of the mound. “Why are you crying?”

She wondered if she should announce that she wasn’t the Komaru of the future, but the high school version. It seemed like a bad move when the other was so bent up over something. Consoling her to the point of being more stable was of the highest priority then. She didn’t know how long these flashforwards lasted, but she needed to beat the invisible timer before then.

The girl exhaled hard, a shaky attempt at words quelled when she rolled her face back into the pillow. Her voice wasn’t bad and Komaru would have most likely equated it to the way a library felt: quiet, mysterious, and  _ full _ . It sounded even better in her head that it was all  _ hers _ too. Well, it would be as soon as she got back to her own timeline and started the journey back to this moment.

With a renewed sense of determination, Komaru rubbed her fingers gently against the blanket in an attempt to persuade the other to speak again. Given the state she was in, Komaru didn’t know what to expect. She relaxed when the girl faltered under her touch, before moving ever so slightly back against it, leaning into the touch. After a deep breath, her soulmate rolled over just enough for the back of her head to face Komaru and her mouth to be unobstructed.

“I...can’t do this, I can’t go to that  _ damn  _ orientation.” The girl spoke once more, tucking her body further into herself. “I’m going to be  _ me _ and ruin everything. You should have never married me–some pathetic, disgusting woman like me is just going to ruin your chances of–”

Something told Komaru that if she didn’t act, the girl would keep rambling off self-depreciations. That wouldn’t be a good outcome either, so she moved to stop it.

“Hey, wait”–Komaru grabbed a handful of the blanket and tore it off the other girl with a single tug–“What are you talking about? How are you going to ruin everything?”

The other girl’s breathing grew hard again and Komaru was certain she could hear the tell-tale sounds of sniffles start up again. It was only confirmed when her shoulders shook. The scene was painful to watch and Komaru felt a pang shoot through her chest.

“Please...look at me?” Komaru said, her voice a bit softer now, “We can figure it out. You don’t need to panic. Look at me, okay?”

Komaru wondered if she heard, but, when the breathing began to regulate, she became more certain she had. After a couple of moments, the girl finally rolled the rest of the way. It seemed little had changed appearance-wise. The only difference to the face she had seen in her time being the delicate signs of aging like deep crow’s feet on the sides of her eyes and other less noticeable wrinkles. Her eyes, on the other hand, spoke a more in-depth story.

They had been rubbed raw from crying and, underneath red-tinged skin, sat dark,  _ dark  _ bags framing the under-eye. These changes were temporary, negligible, however. There was no question in Komaru’s brain that these eyes were identical to the gray irises she had seen just minutes before. Although, in this timeline, Komaru supposed it had been years since the other girl caught her in the dorm hall. 

_ Her soulmate. _

Komaru felt giddy at the thought.

“Jack...Komaru, what if I can’t keep her in? Fuck, what if Jack takes over and–"

Komaru couldn’t get a word in. The other girl seemed to spiral further.

“ _ Fuck _ ...You should just go by yourself–say I’m sick.” She let out a choking nose, her fingers gripping at her neck. ”’Cuz, even if Jack isn’t there, I  _ would  _ be. They’ll look at me and say such a disgusting,  _ pathetic _ woman like me should be nowhere near a child!”

“Hey, baby…” Komaru wasn’t sure if the endearment fit the context (what would her future-self use anyway?), but she hoped the tone would be enough to help her placate the situation. “Calm down for me, okay? Breath in and out.”

“But–”

“No. Do it with me. Breathe  _ in _ and breathe  _ out. _ ”

Komaru displayed the action, taking deep breaths in and out. The girl hesitated, but, after a couple of seconds, began to follow her example. The other girl’s breaths came out shaky for a couple of runs before becoming more stable, albeit the tremor never quite went away. 

At some point during the process, Komaru noticed the female’s hand was still clamped tightly around the blanket. There was a silver band on the ring finger too, cementing the marriage narrative. She moved for it, placing her hand over the much colder one and coiling fingers around the boney flesh. As the breathing stabilized, the girl grew more receptive to the touch until, finally, she unlatched it from the blanket and it wrapped around her own. There was a certain familiarity in the way it was done too, so Komaru felt more certain in her action. She supposed her future self and the current her couldn’t be that much different then either.

The other girl let out one final deep breath before again meeting her eyes. It was a look of reverence, one that shook Komaru to her very core.

“Sorry...I know I’m probably overreacting. I just don’t want to ruin this. We’ve already been through so much and I can’t be  _ me _ and ruin this when we’re at the homestretch. I want to bring Kotoko home...I’m so tired of all this stress.”

Komaru squeezed the other girl’s fingers.

_ I should probably do it now, _ Komaru decided,  _ I don’t know how much time I have left. She seems as put together as she can be...given the situation. _

“This...is going to sound weird...but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The other girl’s nose scrunched at the statement, an incredulous expression taking the place of the one from earlier. She sat up now; their hands still locked together while her free hand retrieved a pair of glasses from the nightstand. She appeared to be wearing an outfit similar to her own, but black joggers replacing the leggings and the sweater being a dark gray.

“Omaru, you’re joking, right? The adoption orientation? Are you braindead?”

Komaru flinched at the difference in tone but tried to remain neutral. This was her future...wife? They were married, the matching wedding bands had confirmed that at this point beyond what the other had said. So, she obviously didn’t mean that or say it out of maliciousness. It was probably just how she talked.

“Adoption, huh? I wouldn’t have taken myself to have kids so early? I must only be twenty-three or twenty-four.”

The other girl’s mouth fell agape at that. 

“You’re 27, Komaru. What’s wrong with you?” She said, taking her free hand to press it against Komaru’s head, “You don’t feel hot. Why are you...saying things like that?”

The other female stared before, wordlessly, retracting her hands and placing them firmly in her lap. Komaru’s hand and forehead felt cold in their absence.

“You’re not...Omaru, are you? You have got to be  _ kidding  _ me– _ This _ ? This was your first impression of me?”

The female began panicking again. She gripped hard at the locks of her hair on her head and began pulling hard enough that Komaru was sure some hair must have been pulled out by the root. Frantic, Komaru reached forward and grabbed both her hands, forcing their fingers together, and leaned close so that the girl couldn’t avoid her eyes. 

“None of that! What’s your name? I never got to hear it. Referring to you as ‘girl’ in my head is getting annoying.” Komaru laced their fingers further together when she sensed another escape impending with the way the fingers flinched. “I’m Komaru Naegi, but you know that much, huh? I’m a senior in high school right now.”

Komaru blushed. The other probably knew that much. If the other did, however, she didn’t bother to let her know. Instead, her mouth flapped like a fish before sputtering out a few words.

“Toko...Fukawa. Don’t make past me repeat it.”

“Toko, huh? Pretty, very fitting,” Komaru said.

“Toko? You don’t even know me yet. You’ve always been so assumptive.”

“I’m not calling  _ my soulmate _ by their last name. And sorry...I didn’t tell you right away. I was still figuring stuff out and it didn’t seem like a good time to put that on you.”

“Oh, yeah,  _ that. _ ” Toko cringed, again failing to retract her hands. She managed to avert her eyes from Komaru’s green ones with some effort, however. “Sorry, you ended up paired with a complete mess like me. You’re already going to have to go through so much shit because of me. You might as well reject me when you get back. It’ll make it easier on you in the long run…”

“You don’t mean that–”

“Komaru, you deserve so much better.”

"Well,  _ obviously _ , I stayed with you even with this being my flashforward! So, no matter what you say, you captured my heart enough for me to marry you  _ and  _ want to start a family with you,” Komaru said, finally removing her hands to open up her arms, “Now stop being a baby! Soulmates should have a happy meeting and I’m making sure you get yours. C'mere!"

Komaru spread her arms out further and Toko observed her in a cat-like way as if she somehow expected malice. Instead, Komaru gave a big grin and beckoned her forward with a nod. Toko hesitated, however, her eyes wandering up to Komaru’s eyes with slow, nervous caution.

“You don’t even know me yet. You’re too trusting, Komaru.”

“You don’t want a hug then?”

Toko puckered her lips and looked aside for a moment before returning Komaru’s gaze.

“No...I want a hug. God, this is so embarrassing,” Toko said but moved forward anyway to wrap her long, skinny arms around Komaru’s pudgier ones. It must have been muscle memory that Toko hugged her the way she did, so intimate that Komaru’s heart caught in her throat and she stopped breathing for a moment. Her hands floundered around the other, uncertain how intimate she should make her own. In the end, they ended up coiled around the other’s midsection, resting on the indentation of Toko’s bra.

Komaru found any attempt at words getting lost in her head as she breathed into the hug. It was pleasant; Toko had a light smell of lavender and roses. The smells wouldn’t have smelled as good together in most cases–one always trying to outmatch the other–but Toko seemed to make it work. She loved the smell.

“You smell good.”

“You...You’re too much.” Toko’s lips brushed against Komaru’s neck, covering Komaru’s skin with goosebumps, “Hey...let go for a sec.”

Komaru complied reluctantly since the request didn’t seem to come from a place of self-deprecation. She never fully let go though, only enough for her hands to linger down to the Toko’s forearm and for their faces to be inches away. Toko bit her lips anxiously as Komaru stared into her, awaiting the reasoning as a vibrant blush spread across the apple of Toko’s cheeks.

She spoke, finally.

“Let me kiss you.”

“Huh?” Komaru flustered but she didn't pull away. “Weren’t you just saying I was too trusting?”

“It’s payback. Now, let me kiss you.”

“Isn’t it too soon? Is it cheating since I’m technically not your Komaru?”

“Would you be mad if I kissed a past  _ you? _ ”

“...Probably not. I’d think it's funny.”

Toko’s skin pinkened worse.

“Just let me kiss you then! God, who knew you were such a prude.”

“I-I’m not a prude...Anyways is that how you should ask for a kiss? You should say please at least.”

Toko grumbled, but obliged, “ _ Please _ let me kiss you.”

She allowed it.

“Well if you’re gonna be a big baby about it. I will steal your first kiss though as payback.”

Something flashed in Toko’s eyes, something Komaru couldn’t place.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Toko mumbled, “Fine. You can steal my first kiss. So, again, can I  _ please _ kiss you, Omaru?”

Komaru felt a nervous swelling in her chest but nodded. Toko’s analytical eyes stared her down before her hands moved up to cup the round flesh of Komaru’s cheeks, rubbing soft circles. Then, with reckless abandon, Toko brought herself forward and pressed a kiss against her.

It was sloppy, especially for a kiss that should have been rehearsed by the other at this point, but it wasn’t bad by any means. This Toko had the experience of finding all her weak points and was actively pursuing them and making Komaru weak at the knees. When Toko ran a tongue against her bottom lip, Komaru barely contained the whine that tried to sneak past her teeth. Desperate, she wrapped her arms around Toko’s neck and pulled her closer.

They, her future self and this Toko, had probably had sex at this point too, now that she thought of it. So, these _interactions_ must be second nature. It made Komaru almost embarrassed when she thought of how many times this body must have been explored by the other and how many times her own hands had touched the girl in front of her, undoing her touch by touch. It was enough to make her body ignite, but she chose to ignore it. She wasn’t about to have sex with her future wife, she wasn’t going to go _that_ crazy. She still wanted to try for that shojo love story and, according to her books, that should be more than a couple of manga in.

When she felt Toko’s tongue slip in and press against her own, Komaru figured some steps could happen a little earlier than usual though.

After a couple of long, pleasing minutes, the kiss had to end. Both pulled away gasping and Komaru refused to remove her hands. Toko didn’t seem to mind, however.

“I...wasn’t intending on a makeout session. I’m not a whore, so don’t be getting the wrong idea!” Toko said, adjusting her glasses that went askew in the process.

“No, it’s fine. That was good. Better than good, uhh…” Komaru looked away this time. “Sorry, I’m kind of dizzy.”

“That good, huh?” Toko sounded smug. “Well, good. Now I feel better.”

There was a quiet in the room, both unsure how to proceed. The distant sound of the heater starting up again kept the room from total silence along with the sound of still labored breaths. Komaru heard Toko swallow hard, adjusting her position on the bed as Komaru’s jelly-like arms fell from her neck to the comforter.

“Hey, I want to say this before you go. I’m sure we’re almost out of time.  _ This time, _ Omaru, I want you to chill out on your brother-complex. It about killed me the first time around.”

The state of bliss was quick to be replaced with indignation. 

“I-I do  _ not _ have a brother-complex!” Komaru said, “We’re just  _ normal _ siblings! He’s a lovable idiot, so, of course, I dote on him a bit!”

Toko shook her head, a soft giggle escaping her lips despite the slight frustration engraved in her brow. Instead of fighting back, Toko merely rubbed circles on the temples of her forehead.

“I have this funny feeling that there’s no reality where you don’t have one,” Toko sighs, “Tell the past me good-luck.”

“I  _ really  _ don’t have one, but, anyways…” Komaru remembered something from earlier in this whole event. She wondered if she should bring it up at all, but eventually decided to go for it. ”Who’s Jack by the way? You mentioned... _ her? _ You mentioned her earlier.”

Toko paled, but she didn’t seem nearly as panicked at the name as she did earlier.

“Oh,  _ her _ . Don’t worry about that, yet...Past me will figure that mess out,” Toko said, “Still, I’m sorry...when you have to meet Jack for the first time.”

“Is Jack a bad person? Should I know so I can help past you–”

Komaru didn’t finish the sentence. The world seemed to grow black around them and that tingling feeling began to overwhelm her senses. As it progressed, only Toko remained visible in her vision. She felt arms snake underneath her armpits in an attempt to keep her steady.

“Time already, huh? Well, good luck, Omaru,” Toko spoke, but Komaru couldn’t move her mouth to respond, nor force her eyes to blink. Instead, she found those gray eyes filling her senses once again as the electric feeling started up once again, working from the back of her head to the front strategically. 

“And...I love you. Don’t forget that... _ idiot _ . I love you more than anything...I can’t wait to see you again.”

Komaru wanted to respond, but it was too late.

She was back. She was in the dorm hall and staring into the younger Toko’s eyes. As her senses returned to her, she could feel the much shorter, black braids curl against her neck and how Toko’s tiny arms wrapped around her waist, nearly flush against her breasts. They both stared at each other for a moment more before Komaru found the strength to stand.

Even so, it was only a moment before she was turned back around, refusing to let Toko’s eyes wander.

“What’s...happening?” Komaru could hear Makoto ask from behind her. “Why do you both look like that? Are you guys okay?”

Dense. Her older brother was so dense. She’d have to tease him about it later.

“Toko Fukawa...It’s nice to meet you,” Komaru found her voice, offering a big smile to the other girl. Toko flinched when she heard it.

“Komaru Naegi, huh?...” Toko looked away. “You pervert.”

“Pervert? You’ve got to be kidding! You’re the pervert here,” Komaru remarked, but it didn’t stop her from throwing her arms around the girl for a hug. The other girl stiffened under her grip. “You should have seen what you did to me–”

“Umm, speak for yourself! Now, get  _ off  _ me. I barely know you. You have to work for a hug, even from someone as repulsive and disgusting as me.”

“That’s fine!” Komaru said, pulling away after another moment. They continued to stare at one another: Toko’s unrelenting skepticism apparent despite Komaru's rivaling eagerness.

Makoto spoke again from behind her, but Komaru couldn’t bother to listen this time. She felt her parents stand beside her; their excited energy palpable. Her mother moved first, placing a hand on Toko’s shoulder. Toko seemed to nearly faint from the contact.

“Welcome to the family...Toko, was it?”

Toko stared at the hand until it was released from her shoulder. Komaru’s father spoke this time.

“We have to finish saying goodbye to our son and then we can let you steal Komaru for a bit. I’m sure you both have a lot to talk about.”

“No kidding,” Komaru said, staring at the form of the girl who would one day be her girlfriend, her wife, the mother of her children.  _ Hers _ .

She just had to get there now. One step at a time.


	2. Toko POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thanks for being patient and let me know of any errors as you read!

She was dreading dorm life. Moving in had already been a pain since she ended up using the stairs to bring up all her bags just so she could avoid all the freshmen occupying the elevator. At least on the stairwell she didn’t have to worry about being crammed into an enclosed space with a bunch of strangers. She had no intentions of making friends while at college–they’d be fake anyway, probably mocking her every time she wasn’t there–so it was the best solution.

Still, her body was sore, and, admittedly, watching parents interact with their kids between each trip up and down the stairs made the dull ache in her chest sharper. Her own moms and dad didn’t seem interested in helping her and seemed conflicted on being pissed at her for going to college and being indifferent to her going. No one bothered to wake up to say goodbye, nor did anyone mention it the night before. Even so, Toko had turned on the coffee pot in hopes the aroma would awaken one of her moms, but, in the end, nobody did. So, her chest aching, she clambered into a packed car and made the long drive over.

Now, in her own dorm room, she was surrounded by a handful of boxes with all her meager belongings from her room at home. It wasn't much and she realized how little she had to fill the place. Never having a room as big and as clean as this, she was certain the space would feel overwhelmingly empty since she occupied it alone. It was something she had been excited about originally too and she had been stashing away the money from self-publishing for it in secret. It was luck, she thought at the time, that it didn’t appear anyone was in the room adjacent, leaving the whole bathroom to herself.

Sweat ran down her forehead and, despite how much she didn't want to, Toko convinced herself to take a shower, if only to put off going through the boxes for a little while longer. It was hot, scalding. It reminded her of home and her parents whom she loved as much as she loathed their entire existence. She wondered if they even noticed she was gone yet or if they would at all.

Pulling on new clothes from her luggage, she redressed herself into a sweater and a knee-length, black skirt along with white socks and her weathered, brown loafers. With rehearsed familiarity, she braided her hair back into the tight braids she had worn since she was a child. She barely glanced at the reflection in the mirror, fully aware of how she looked and hating it with a feeling like no other.

Feeling pathetic and lonelier than usual, she decided she’d deal with the social anxiety and sneak to the local coffee shop that her beloved Byakuya Togami had been said to frequent. She figured that, maybe, the feeling would go away when she caught the angel of man in her sights, admiring the way his golden hair framed his face and his blue eyes bore into a subject that caught his interest. Maybe the word angel wasn’t right? Toko was sure he was a god among men; better than her own insignificant self.

If only she could touch him and see their future together, like soulmates always would. If _only_ she could get close enough.

She had been in love (or what she had assumed to be love) with him for a while, ever since his school came over to her own for a club tournament in debate. The way he spoke was so regal, demanding that she found herself going to the boring event just to hang off his words for the short time he spoke. She had attempted a few meetings since, but they were fruitless and, even if he did appear to look at her, it felt more like he was looking through her. At such a prestigious university, though, she was sure could capture his attention, prove herself worthy of even licking his dress shoes.

So, she had made her way down the hall one more time towards the exit, certain it would be her last time that day after she returned. It was still buzzing with activity, something she expected, but she was getting frustrated with the number of people blocking her way. At some point she found a boring, brown-haired family standing in the middle of the hall as some girl with a massive brother complex wept about his leaving. She was about to shoo them away when a scream erupted down the hall and, startled, she paused herself in the middle of the movement.

It didn’t take for the source to show itself: a large man with dreads storming down the hall with a fitting face of horror and a much shorter, athletic female with ginormous, bimbo boobs behind him. Toko figured he must have copped a feel. It was probably an accident too since big boobs like that always grabbed attention and, when he passed by, she probably thrust them in his direction. Girls with big boobs were always like that. Toko, however, lacked the assets and wasn’t a whore. The only person she’d ever offer herself up to would be her master, _not_ any guy who might show interest. Well, not that they would show interest in her anyways; no one did.

Toko watched as the little sister in front of her took a step back to avoid the running duo. The two passed, but the girl got stuck on a backpack’s strap and she began falling back. It wasn’t niceness that had Toko’s arm outstretched, but a fear that the other girl’s head would bash her own head in. Her arms ended up around the other’s waist while her breath got knocked out of her chest.

The female, after a breath, tilted her head up and her desaturated green eyes met Toko's gray ones. The girl's short bob left her face clear and Toko wanted to scoff that, despite how normal the girl was, she was undeniably cute in a frustrating sort of way. 

A weird sensation began to stir within her and Toko felt her hands lock more securely around the other as an electric feeling began to stir from the back of her head and moved forward. Her hands began to tingle, making her grip on the other tighten in an attempt to numb the feeling. The feeling was too much and it didn’t help that nausea began to swarm her senses; unbending and demanding.

She was going to pass out. She knew the feeling well and her mind rounded back to the times her parents had locked her in that closet for days and how the dark void offered no condolences in her situation. Panic rose into her throat until the darkness fully closed in on her with only those green eyes of the other girl visible.

Then, with a blink, she was no longer there and her heart raced as the feelings from moments prior dissipated.

She was now in a bedroom of some kind, but not one she recognized and she was unable to remember where the gap in her memory began. The walls were lined with rows of bookshelves, a number being classical novels and, to her own surprise, her own novels on a dedicated shelf (some of which she didn't even recall writing). On the other side rested stacks upon stacks of manga and figurines from said manga, something Toko boiled down to a lack of respect to actual literature. Even if they had a number of classics, the fact that someone put them adjacent to the other was a sure sign of disrespect.

So, on the off chance she had been kidnapped, she was sure that her kidnappers were idiots.

Another difference she recognized was that her clothes had been changed: she was in a halter dress. The dress was made of black cotton and fell high on her thighs, much higher than she would have chosen for herself, and with a v-neck collar that rested in between her small breasts. The dress hid little and it didn't take long to realize she lacked Jack’s scissors that would usually be tucked away on her upper thigh. The scars that usually laid right beside it were much lighter than she remembered despite her latest addition being more recent than she liked to admit. Furthermore, her hair fell much lower than she remembered, but, seeing as she always had it braided, she blamed it on lack of attention. She brushed it back behind her ears, wishing she had a hairband to secure it with.

She then considered this being Genocide Jack’s doing, despite not remembering sneezing in the dorm hall while she was holding that girl. The notebook used to communicate between herself and her other half was no longer on her to reference either. Last she remembered, it was in her bag which was nowhere she could easily spot at the moment. Her only option, then, was to move forward and hope for the best since bringing that other idiot out of the deep recesses over her brain was more likely to cause issues than be helpful.

The bedroom door wasn’t locked when she tried it, so she exited the room without further hesitation. It was warmer outside of the room and the distant sounds of banging pans from down the hall let her know the house wasn’t unoccupied. She peered out the window to her side and noticed she was in an apartment complex of some kind, a couple of floors up. It appeared to be sunset, but it was still unnervingly hot for what September should have been. It felt more like June or July instead, but she brushed that thought away. Weirder weather has happened and, well, there was global warming, right?

She caught her face in the mirror for a moment as she walked, but quickly turned away. She didn’t want to see her reflection right now, something about seeing her hideous face was making her even more sick to her stomach.

Rounding the corner, she found herself in the middle of an open living room and, to her left, she found the source of the noise. In a modest size kitchen stood a woman in front of some pans on the stove and a few feet from a fully dressed up table. She looked oddly familiar, but not in a way Toko could place. She had yet to see her face though and she wondered for a moment if she should even let her presence be known.

When she accidentally kicked one of those touch-operated children’s toys across the floor, she realized it was too late to make a decision. The noise was enough for the girl to perk up and turn around.

The woman had shoulder-length brown hair, green eyes, and a cute face, but she was much older than herself. She was probably in her mid-thirties, but Toko had never been good at placing ages. She wore a high waist dress with sleeves and a cut that fully accentuated her breasts. The olive green and red floral design of the fabric did little to add to a womanly charm though. In all, the dress felt a bit too childish for someone of her age, but Toko supposed it might attract some of the manwhores she had met.

“Toki!” The other female squealed, setting down the wooden spoon in her hand. “Come over here! I wanna see the dress on you in full. Give me a spin too!”

Toko reeled over the nickname from a stranger: she didn’t even have friends, so Toko didn't know where this lady got off knowing her name and feeling close enough to make a punitive deviation of it. Well, for a stranger, they did look awfully familiar–

Almost like that girl from earlier, but undeniably different. Maybe she had passed out and those boring brunets had taken her hostage. Maybe this was an aunt or family member of some kind then too; that would explain the similar appearances. Toko took a couple of steps closer, but only to observe the other in closer detail.

The girl watched with avid interest, biting her bottom lip as Toko approached. Toko had the weird feeling she was prey being observed by a predator. The thought alone almost made her dash for the front door.

“Awe, no spin? So mean,” the other female moaned with a pout, before perking up unbothered, “You look gorgeous in that dress though. I’m glad you decided to wear it for me.”

Toko raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak as she watched the other female move closer to her. _Much_ too close to her, nearly chest to chest. With a panicked inhale, Toko was about to take a step back but was halted when the other girl spoke again.

“I’m really excited about our night together, Toki. I’m so glad Makoto took Kotoko for the night: It’s been long since we’ve had the house alone,” she said, her tone dipping into a sensualness that had Toko sweating, “We can do whatever we want...and you can be as loud as you want too. I don’t mind.”

When the other girl reached for her, Toko snapped back to reality and quickly shuffled back.

“Who _are_ you? And where do you get off thinking you get to talk to me like that? I already have master Byakuya, I don’t want some boring, big-boobed bimbo.”

The other paused for a moment before a humored smirk appeared on her face.

“Really, that old game again? You’re full of surprises, Toko.”

She moved forward again, but Toko forced her hand forward, stopping her.

“No, I’m serious. _Who_ are you?"

The other paused once again, her hands falling to her side as she blinked a couple of times as if she were confused. Toko felt a prickle of fear shoot up her spine and she wondered if her useless body could still make it to the door in time to run out. Then, Toko considered how the other was in a kitchen, a full knife block within reach. She was screwed, wasn’t she? Had she become a slave to some old, kinky, _delusional_ lady while she was knocked out? What the hell had happened to her?

“Is...now the time?” the other finally spoke, tone oddly vacant, “Are you past Toki?”

“Past Toki? Who is _Toki_ ?” Toko pressed. She hoped her bark sounded strong enough because only _one_ part of her had a bite and she wasn't about to use it if she didn't have to. “I’m Toko Fukawa. I _don’t_ know you, so refer to me as Fukawa. Only master Byakuya gets to refer to me so fondly.”

To her surprise, the other laughed like it had been the funniest joke in the world.

“Oh, man...I forgot your obsessions with him. God, for my past self’s sake, get over that. You're _ours_. I'm way more dreamy than that guy anyway,” She said, “My name used to be Komaru Naegi, but, since we’re married at this point, I’m Komaru Fukawa. So, call me Komaru.”

 _My last name? She had to be kidding_ …

Toko wanted to scream and she barely bit it back too.

_This lady is delusional and like hell do I plan to use her first name or my last name to refer to her._

“Past self? What are you talking about?” Toko sneered, “And I’m not _yours_ , you old hag.”

“Oh, yeah...” Naegi said, playing with a strand of her hair unbothered, “You said our first introduction might go like this. Well, I’ll make it easy. You’re in the future Toko’s body and _I’m_ your soulmate. It’s good to meet you after so long.”

A jab of pain shot through Toko’s head. She looked down at her shaking fingertips and clenched hard.

“How… do you expect me to believe you? Do you understand how crazy you sound?” Toko said, “This could be some elaborate plan to make me a sex slave or sell my organs to the black market.”

Naegi pressed a finger into her cheek and drummed the rest of her fingers against her lips, seeming to consider the statement. Toko felt relieved she showed some signs of having half a brain cell because, even if it were true, there was no way she would believe something like that so easily. If this girl was her soulmate, she should know that too. Well, _unless_ being a bumbling, optimistic idiot took away her commonsense.

“Well, you left your notebook on the table over there. It says everything in it, so, if you don’t believe me, read that. I’ll be making dinner in the meantime. I haven’t burned it yet, so wish me luck and take your time, okay? Jack’s been writing the most in it, but you should find your own entries too.”

Toko flinched at the name and her mouth dried.

_Jack? How...did she?_

“Go ahead, Toko, it’s all detailed there...uh, just don’t get too flustered though.” Naegi’s face burned a brilliant pink tone against her tanned skin. “Your future self and future Jack tend to document _everything_.”

Naegi finally turned and walked back to the stovetop, stirring the contents in the pans. 

Toko moved for the journal with rough, uncalculated movements as her legs threatened to give out under her. There was no way someone could replicate either of their scrawls. Not to mention that Toko could tell a fake when she saw one, so she knew she wouldn’t be fooled. Trying to regain her composure, she flipped it open. As soon as she turned a couple of pages in, she was sure she’d be able to tell this old creep to–

_But...how?_

It was her own. It had to be.

All the unique, near nonsensical trademarks of her and Jack’s writing styles were there. It was almost like another language: one she wasn’t even sure she could explain given the opportunity but could read without hesitation or stutter. It was muscle memory that wrote it most days too, so the fact it was so perfectly done made it hard to deny. The problem was that the dates were of nearly fifteen years in the future which would make her thirty-four.

If Naegi had been the very same one she caught in the dorm hall and she had been a high schooler by looks alone at that time, then how old was she? It had been Naegi's older brother, a freshman like herself, that she was sniveling about leaving. So, give it fifteen years and she was probably thirty-three at most, maybe even thirty-two.

Toko wanted to deny it. Throw the book at the woman and duck out the door.

Then she saw an entry dedicated to _herself_ : a nineteen-year-old Toko.

_Hello._

_The fact you’re reading this means Omaru listened to what I said and that you finally showed up. She’s not lying, first and foremost. She’s too dumb to do stuff like that. Secondly, she’s not Byakuya Togami. Your soulmate is_ _not_ _Byakuya Togami. You won’t let that go though. I didn’t either, but you need your future self, out of anyone, to be honest with you._

_Komaru Naegi (or Komaru Fukawa) is your wife, your soulmate. You don’t have a lot of time with the future her, so make the most of it. She’s an idiot, but she’s ours._

_Sincerely, yourself, Toko Fukawa._

_P.S. If you’d like (which I doubt), Jack's entries can back this up as well...I’m not sure if you’ll be ready to read those though. But, if things go the same as they did for me, you will anyways._

And Toko did flip through more pages, skipping through the entries and flinching at the more in-depth descriptions of intimate moments and tears and other mentions of domestic life. Both of which were in her own writing and Jack’s (with Jack’s always being more explicit by far). When the pressure in her chest became too much, Toko threw the book hard, knocking over a vase from the dining table.

Naegi looked up from the stove and whined.

“Not that vase…it was so expensive,” Naegi says, placing the wooden spoon down and moving towards Toko once again, “So, do you understand now, Toko?”

Toko shook her head, vehement and disturbed.

“How could someone as _plain_ and _normal_ as you match up to Master? How are _you_ my soulmate?"

“Well, fate, probably. I’m pretty pleased on my end,” Naegi laughed, “Anyways, I can surpass that stick in the mud in every way, _especially_ in making you happy.”

“Hah, as if,” Toko scoffed, “Only master can please me. I don’t want some high schooler with a brother complex.”

Naegi’s eye twitched.

“I don’t have a brother complex, I can guarantee that.” Naegi moved in quickly, grabbing Toko’s tiny wrist and pulling her forward so she couldn’t escape. “And I’m certain I could please you better than _Togami_ any day.”

“There’s no way someone like you could ever please anyone, even someone like me.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Sure, as if a–”

Naegi moved forward, pressing her lips against the other. It was calculated on the other’s end, but Toko remained like a brick wall against the kiss until, for some reason, she _wasn’t_.

It wasn’t a conscious move that had her wrapping her arms around the other’s waist nor was it a conscious move to allow the other to wrap their arms around her head, pulling their lips closer. Toko felt something slippery against her lips, a tongue, and gasped at the feeling. Naegi took the initiative to slide her tongue in, pleasure shooting up her spine. Even if something about the action felt good and had her squirming, Toko couldn’t breathe. She pressed hard against the other girl to escape.

Naegi let go after a moment and Toko took a couple of steps back, gripping her sore chest. Desperate for air, she breathed in and out deeply until the burn in her ribs settled.

“Oh, dork, you need to breathe in through your nose,” Naegi laughed, “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was suffocating you. Current-you already has that part down.”

“That was my first kiss!” Toko complained, but her fingers settled on her lips and rubbed the sore flesh. “I...you…!”

Her heart was pounding into her ribcage and the words wouldn’t find their way out of her mouth. She couldn’t believe it, she _didn’t_ want to. Toko may be ignorant in some regards–it came with being a fallible human–but even she couldn’t deny the other girl knew her weak points (of which Toko didn’t even know) with practiced precision. Still, _admitting_ it? There was no way she could.

“Heart racing, huh?” Naegi teased. Toko glared.

“No, definitely not. Not by some old lady like you.”

“You’re older than me usually,” Naegi chimed in before dismissing the topic with a hand, “Anyways, make sure you call me Komaru, okay? It’s almost like I can _feel_ you not using it. We’ve been together for years, I don’t even want to hear my old last name with your voice.”

Naegi stared at her expectantly.

“C’mon! Say _Komaru_ , Toki!”

The pleading, yet determined look seemed to grow in severity with each passing second. The intensity became too much and Toko sighed and reluctantly agreed.

“ _Komaru._ There! You happy?”

“Yep!” Komaru smiled, before tapping her chin contemplatively, “ _And_ , while I still have you, if you want to flirt with me indirectly, I love the smell of lavender or roses. It would be best if you wore both. It’d drive me crazy.”

Toko raised an eyebrow at her. “Is my natural scent not good enough for you? If you really are my soulmate, you should like me for how I am.”

“You used to use generic shampoo and conditioner back in college because it’s what your family let you have,” Komaru explained, a flicker of anger on her face, “We searched for one that resonated with you so that _nothing of your parents_ remained in your life, even in soap. Rose and lavender are what you chose. That’s why I like it, dork. It reminds me of your first happy shower.”

Toko flushed at that.

“What...a dumb reason.”

“Yeah,” Komaru laughed, “And I’m dumb. So what? It’s what you like about me, Toki.”

Toko sputtered, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. Komaru watched her with avid interest, that content smile never leaving her lips as she observed. Eventually, Komaru broke the line of sight once to glance at her notebook still lying on the floor where she threw it. There was a troubled expression across her face before she spoke.

“Hey...this is a hard request, but can I see her before you go? We’re running out of time and I don't want Jack to feel left out.”

_Genocide Jack? She wants to see her?!_

“You _want_ to see her?” Toko asked, her mouth falling agape. Her hands impulsively gripped the opposite shoulders, skinny fingers wrapping around the bony joint, as if to sturdy herself.

“Of course! I married you both!” Komaru said, “Anyways, I have more than enough experience with her at this point. Trust me, nothing she could do or say would surprise me. She won’t hurt me either, don’t worry.”

“...’Course she wouldn’t. You’re not a cute boy.”

“Ehh, she can make exceptions…” Komaru said, before quickly shaking her head, “Not the point! Can I? I have some pepper on the table too, so it’ll be quick!”

Komaru grabbed the pepper shaker on the table and brought it forward towards Toko. Her movement was hesitant, almost willing to back down if Toko really was against it. For whatever reason, Toko didn't. Instead, her numb hands eventually wrapped around it and brought it closer to her chest.

“I...don’t know what’s going on or...why I want to agree...Just…” Toko's breath caught in her throat and she clutched her hand harder around the shaker. “You better not regret this, all right?”

“Trust me, I won’t.”

So, with one breath more of hesitation, Toko brought the shaker up to her nose, inhaled, and let out a loud sneeze. The pepper shaker dropped to the floor with a thud.

Genocide Jack looked around the room, surprised to find she was not in a college dorm or somewhere familiar in their crappy hometown. Instead, it seemed to be a living room of some kind, toys scattered around her feet, and the smell of burning food in the air. There was an older woman in front of her too, not one she recognized either, who seemed to be expecting something out of her.

“Who...are you?”

The inflection was snotty as she turned her head, skeptically scrutinizing the other. Even if she didn’t know what was going on, she could at least play herself into a more dominant role regardless how desperate it might end up being. So far, it never steered her wrong.

Her hands crawled down her empty thighs and her fingers twitched in the absence. The lack of scissors or, at the very least, a strap to hold them, was odd. The seductive dress was also unusual given Toko’s personality, but Jack didn’t want to make any deductions yet. She didn’t know what was going on, but she didn’t sense immediate danger. Further, Toko hadn’t felt scared prior to her entrance.

The female in front of her stepped forward and Jack’s thoughts were back on target. The other offered a smile instead.

“Hello! I’m your wife and soulmate, Komaru Fukawa, formally Komaru Naegi.” The girl gave a shy look down, scratching the edge of her cheek. “This is your flashforward and I asked to speak to you before you both went back.”

Jack held back the snort.

_Huh, not what I expected. Interesting..._

“Well, that's pretty nice of ya,” Jack said, tapping her index finger against her lip, “but I’ve always pegged four-eyes as straight. Whatever happened to our dear, _master_ Byakuya, hmmmm?”

Komaru cracked a grin.

“I swept you off your feet, so you decided to drop him.”

Jack found that _really_ hard to believe. As open as she was to surprises, this would be too much of a surprise. Then again, it was a conscious effort that Toko switched, so maybe there was some merit to what the other was saying? Or was this some elaborate scheme? Altogether, this situation was hard to make a call on.

It was like Komaru could sense the hesitation.

“This is a lot to take in. Toko didn’t believe it either, but it’s all in your journal on the floor.” –Komaru motioned to an abandoned, weathered journal on the floor beside a broken vase–”So, feel free to read it. I’m sure you’ll recognize the writing quite well.”

The tone was cheeky, so Jack kept her eyes trained on her as she moved towards the book, snapping it up while avoiding the glass shards. Once in her hands, she retreated far into a corner so she couldn’t be surprised while she read. She knew better than that after all.

In the end, though, it only took skimming a couple of pages and seeing a dedicated note to Toko to feel satisfied. With a sigh, she closed the book and threw it nonchalantly back to where it had once been on the floor. It landed with a _thud_ , further scattering glass shards as it slid.

Sauntering back over to her wife-to-be, Jack offered a lop-sided smile.

“Well, even I couldn’t make up that steamy garbage, so you’re obviously not lying,” Jack said.

She peered around the body, admiring every curvature and memorizing every detail. Komaru seemed undisturbed, laughing as she allowed the other to physically and visually wonder her. If anything, it seemed the female was amused by the antic.

“Well, well, _well_ ! You’re obviously used to the gawking from future me, but let _me_ check out the merch a bit more then. _C’mon,_ give me a spin!”

Komaru giggled but complied with a quick twirl.

“Nice, _nice_. I quite enjoy the assets, but aren’t blue-striped underwear more of a schoolgirl thing? Kinda perverted for an older woman to wear them, huh?” Jack said, moving forward to pull up the end of the dress to peak at the underwear again.

Something about the smile on Komaru’s face said even this wasn’t abnormal for them, so Jack continued unabashed. Well, actually, Jack knew that she, herself, wouldn’t be bothered. She had a pretty high tolerance to not being embarrassed, almost as if the switch between the two only existed in fleeting instances. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable to not have a violent or adverse reaction to her antics. This Komaru seemed like she would be fun.

“Oh, don’t worry. I wore them for future you,” Komaru said, a smirk perking up her lips, “We have a date tonight and you always really enjoy it when I wear them.”

“Understandable,” Jack muttered, “I am a woman of good taste. Sucks our poor master romance didn’t work out, but, _alas_ , even Romeo and Juliet didn't truly end up together! We could always keep him in the basement though–Wait! Does this place have a basement–”

“Or…” Komaru grabbed Jack’s attention by grabbing her shoulder. “I could give you a kiss! Really seal the deal on being soulmates and I’ll promise to keep wearing this kind of underwear, among other things, _long_ into the future.”

“That’s a long term investment, though.” Jack deflated, before nodding her head up and down after a thought. “Although, denying you offers no fun benefits! So, might as well kiss! Deck one on me, Dekomaru!”

“Dekomaru...that’s where that name came from?” Komaru only seemed disappointed for a moment, before sighing. “Well, you asked for it. Your lips are gonna be sore, Jack.”

“That’s fine–”

Komaru delivered, placing a hard kiss atop the other’s lips and wrapping her arms around the other’s waist this time. Jack didn't wait to jump in, running her long tongue against Komaru’s bottom lip. Once Komaru opened her mouth a bit, Jack took to exploring further; her tongue against the other’s teeth and then against Komaru's tongue, dominant and quick. She felt a shiver run down her spine and pursued it eagerly as a heat built in her chest. Komaru moaned against her lips and tried to display the same vigor. However, as into it as she seemed, Komaru's arms unwrapped around Jack and began to push her back after a few minutes.

Jack had breathed through her nose, so she was breathing mostly fine, but she had obviously taken the other off guard. Komaru, despite a cheesy smile on her face, was wheezing as she caught her breath before she could squeeze some words out.

“ _Hah_ , I guess I should be glad that it took some time for me to make out like that with you in your timeline. You calmed down... _hah_ …a little bit by then.”

“That’s kinda boring. Spicy moments should always be pushed to the edge. That's why people take the ones they like on scary first dates, really gets those love hormones pumping! Kyeehahahaha!”

“I already...” Komaru swallowed hard, her lungs finally catching up, “I already love you, so no need.”

Something shook in Jack’s chest. It was like the feeling she had with her master, but _quieter_ , more filling maybe. She chose to ignore it.

“Love me? Don’t you mean you love four eyes?”

“Both. I love both of you.”

“We’ll see about that,” Jack said, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, you will. I wouldn’t do all those things in the journal with someone I didn’t love.” Komaru nodded with a distant smile. “Hey, Jack, I know we haven’t spoken long...But is it okay if I say goodbye to Toki? I don’t think you guys have much time left and I want to leave a good impression.”

“Mmmm, I suppose…” Jack consents, “Well, whatever happens, don’t forget _your_ promise. I want to see lots of things too! Not just striped panties.”

“Don’t worry, future-you already made sure I had more than enough in the closet.”

Jack snorted at that before reaching down and securing the pepper shaker in her hands. With a final wink, she inhaled the pepper and sneezed.

Toko, albeit winded, took the lead in her place. She looked dizzy, not as used to the switches as her counterpart. Komaru reached up to grab the other girl's cheeks in her hands, pressing soothing circles into the smooth skin where her jaw bone rested. When she seemed cognitive enough, Komaru spoke.

“Hey, Toko, I know this is a lot to take in, but I want to say it before you go. You said it for me when we met for the first time too, so…” Komaru grins, her eyes watery, “I love you. I love you both with all my heart. I’m so excited to meet you two again.”

The world started to darken around her and Komaru seemed to recognize that within Toko. The world became centered solely on those olive-green eyes and, despite being able to hear perfectly fine, Toko's tongue seemed unable to move in her mouth. The most she could offer were gargled sounds.

Komaru didn’t seem to mind, offering a loving look in the way she peeked past half-lidded eyes. Toko could only watch as the girl spoke once again.

“And, Toki, you never have to be alone again, okay?” Komaru was crying now, her grip on Toko tightening. “I’ll always be there for you. Both in your time, now, and well into the future. I love you–”

But the words were cut off. Her ears felt vacant at the loss.

She was back in the dorm hall once again, holding up a much younger version of Komaru, those olive-eyes unchanging. She saw the girl crack a smile upon seeing her, but Toko couldn't break the shock enough to return it. She was disoriented: she was surprised she was standing by herself, much more holding someone else up. She can vaguely feel the other girl’s breasts against her arms, but couldn't find the strength to move away either.

The other girl, through shaky legs, managed to stand up, Toko’s arm falling limp at her side, before turning around to face her. Her eyes stared into her own with fascination and determination, not unlike her future self. Toko didn't find it within herself to look away. Instead, she stared. Komaru stared back with equal vigor.

“What’s...happening?” Toko could hear Komaru’s brother speak, but she didn’t move to look at him. “Why do you both look like that? Are you guys okay?”

Neither her nor Komaru offered a response and, instead, Komaru gave her a cheesy, hopeful grin. Part of Toko wondered if it was problematic how little Komaru seemed to change despite the years of difference. Komaru didn’t _seem_ like a bad person, but she hardly trusted superficial feelings like that. Even if they supposedly had fifteen years together, she wasn't about to lose her commonsense any more than she already had.

God was she embarrassed getting swept away like that like some damsel in a mediocre romance plot.

“Toko Fukawa...It’s nice to meet you," Komaru finally spoke.

The difference in voice quality was more noticeable: it was higher-pitched and whinier. Yet, with that said, it didn't bug her as much as she thought a voice as grating as that could be. It was comforting and she almost wanted to believe such an overtly expressive tone like that couldn’t hold malice. Toko flinched at the thought. Hoping to cover up the moment of weakness, she spoke as well.

“Komaru Naegi, huh?...” Toko bit down hard on her inner cheek, looking down at her loafers instead of those big, hopeful eyes. “You pervert.”

Her mind flashed back to that kiss, how future-Komaru basically forced it on her. Well, maybe she did instigate it, but consent was key! She hoped her future self got back at Komaru in some way too.

Toko paused.

_Thinking something like that...Am I really accepting that Komaru’s my soulmate?_

Something told her it was hard to fight such indisputable evidence. She had touched the girl and saw a future. Part of her felt sick. It couldn't be Byakuya she saw in her flashforward, but some crybaby, nondescript girl.

Then she remembered Komaru’s kiss, her journal, and the note from her future self. She didn't know what to make of it. Was this really the better option? Could she not be happy in a reality with someone as magnificent as master? Especially when she hadn’t tried?

“Pervert? You’ve got to be kidding! You’re the pervert here.” Komaru seemed indignant, but despite her reaction, threw her arms around Toko for a hug and Toko stiffened under the sudden contact. “You should have seen what you did to me–”

“Umm, speak for yourself! Now, get off me. I barely know you. You have to work for a hug, even from someone as repulsive and disgusting as me.”

“That’s fine!” Komaru said, squeezing hard on her shoulder before, finally pulling away. Toko, with her ribs no longer constrained, breathed in deep as she observed the obnoxious eagerness of the other. She could barely believe someone as stupid and presumptive as Komaru was supposed to her soulmate. The thought made her laugh and she almost considered pretending the whole situation never happened.

Something told her it wouldn’t be that easy. The girl looked persistent. 

The brother spoke again, but Toko was caught off the guard when Komaru’s mother, wearing a white sweater dress, placed a hand on her shoulder and curled the digits across her skin. Part of her wanted to shrug it off, but she allowed it. It was probably the side effect of shock that she did and she felt a repulsive, cold chill run through her as the urge to escape began to build in the back of her head.

“Welcome to the family...Toko, was it?” The mother spoke, but Toko was too caught in the glimmer of those straight, white teeth to pay attention. The trance was only broken when the warmth on her shoulder disappeared and the male, Komaru’s father probably, spoke.

“We have to finish saying goodbye to our son and then we can let you steal Komaru for a bit. I’m sure you both have a lot to talk about.”

Stealing their daughter? They seemed far too calm at the possibility for Toko’s sanity. Feeling a hot embarrassment run through her, Toko found herself turning back to Komaru, finding comfort in her form over the other two who were virtually strangers. Well, Komaru was _too_ , but not nearly as bad.

But, in a sense, it was _just_ as bad. She barely knew the future Komaru, not this one. Thus, she couldn’t really know what to expect from her either.

“No kidding,” Komaru said, her eyes meeting Toko’s without a second thought or shred of doubt. Her green eyes stared into Toko’s own and she ran through the flashforward once more in her head. This girl would be her girlfriend, her lover, her wife. _Hers._

Future Komaru had said that neither version would ever leave her alone again. As stupid as she felt about believing the words of someone who didn’t exist quite yet, she found those words repeating in her head. Toko remembered Komaru saying she wanted to see her again and something about that resonated within her. In her head, she decided, she could admit she wanted the same no matter how stupid it might be.

She just had to get there now. One step at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn’t obvious, they did end up adopting Kotoko! I imagine, with time, they would adopt all the UDG kids though! However, since Jack saved Kotoko in the game, I made her the first kid to be adopted!
> 
> I went through a weird emotional moment in the middle of the week, so I didn’t release this as early as I wanted. I keep wanting to refine it, but, in the end, I can't stress forever about a two-shot (especially with midterms and essays on the horizon, haha). If there are little errors or fluency issues in the work, please let me know. I’ll fix them and the previous chapter when I get the chance.
> 
> Anyways, thank you for the support! I wasn’t sure if this would do super well, but, seeing as Ultra Despair Girl emotionally wrecked me and gave me a giant appreciation of Toko and the other characters, I’m glad to contribute to the fandom in terms of this ship! (It’s crazy to think I almost skipped it!) I have a couple more soulmate AUs planned out, so keep an eye out for them if you’re interested.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey again!  
> Toko's part is already written but needs to be edited. It should be out in a couple of days, but no guarantee because of midterms on my end. 
> 
> Anyways, let me know what you think!


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